ARRL Letter

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The ARRL Letter
Vol. 24, No. 23
June 10, 2005
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IN THIS EDITION:
* +President Haynie calls House resolution "a fair request"
* +First global emergency communications conference set
* +California youngsters talk with ISS via ham radio
* +Kid's Day II for 2005 is June 18
* +Dayton Hamvention attendance up slightly for 2005
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio: The ARRL June VHF QSO Party and more!
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration
+NWS meteorologist praises ARES, SKYWARN
+FCC invites comments on BPL database manager proposal
+CY9SS DXpedition on the air after rough landing
Reminder: Armstrong commemorative FM broadcast is June 11
ARRL accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO cards for DXCC credit
DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit
Israeli stations to honor Maccabiah Games June 21-July 21
+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
===========================================================
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==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
==>HOUSE RESOLUTION 230 "A FAIR REQUEST," ARRL PRESIDENT SAYS
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, says House Resolution 230 (HRes 230)
represents "a fair request" to the FCC and deserves the support of the US
House of Representatives. Sponsored by Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR, of Arkansas,
HRes 230 calls on the FCC to comprehensively evaluate BPL's interference
potential incorporating "extensive public review and comment," then to
"reconsider and review" its new BPL rules in the light of that public input.
Renewing his call for League members to contact their congressional
representatives to sign on as cosponors of the non-binding measure, Haynie
said Ross's resolution only asks the FCC to do what it should have done in
the first place regarding BPL.
"What this basically asks the FCC to do is to take another look at their
methodology and how they arrived at the conclusions they did," Haynie said.
The FCC adopted rules to govern so-called Access BPL last October 14 in ET
Docket 04-37. "I think that's a fair request and something that we should do
as amateurs to make sure this is done right and without a lot of haste."
Haynie says Motorola's announcement of its Powerline LV system suggests the
FCC rules can provide much greater protection to radicommunication services
without preventing properly engineered BPL systems from going forward.
Ross, who is one of two amateur licensees in the US Congress (the other is
Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI, of Oregon), introduced HRes 230 on April 21. He told
Broadband Over Power Line World (BPLW) recently that he's concerned about
potential interference that BPL deployment could generate. (The interview is
on the BPLW Web site
<http://www.etopiamedia.net/bplw/pages/bplw33-5551212.html>.)
"Based on my own knowledge of the unique nature of the high-frequency radio
spectrum, I was concerned about the evidence submitted to the Federal
Communications Commission that I believe demonstrates the need to postpone
any rules regarding BPL deployment," Ross said. He explained that passage of
HRes 230 would put the House on record as "supporting a more careful study
by the FCC of the radio interference issue, especially as it relates to
public safety communication, and reconsideration of the adequacy of the
rules in light of this study."
While HRes 230 does not specifically address the BPL concerns of the Amateur
Radio community, Ross said those concerns were what led him to look more
closely at BPL's implications for the public safety community. He noted that
the federal interagency emergency SHARES (SHAred RESources) network uses HF,
and many states and localities still use the 30-50 MHz "low-VHF" band for
public safety communications--spectrum that some BPL pilot projects also
have occupied.
Ross said BPL interference on HF would be proportional to the extent of the
technology's deployment using medium-voltage power lines. "Broadband energy
cannot be put on these lines without causing interference to radio receivers
using the same frequencies," he explained to BPLW's Marc Strassman. He also
said the existing emission limits are "much too high" and never were
intended to apply to systems like BPL. Existing BPL systems should be made
to conform to future limits, he added.
He said BPL's potential to disrupt aviation operations is so great that the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
successfully argued to prohibit Access BPL via medium-voltage power lines on
frequencies used by commercial aeronautical communications.
Ross also wants the Commission to address "without further delay" the
"substantial number" of BPL interference complaints now pending at the FCC.
And while he'd like to see his colleagues eventually approve HRes 230, he
hopes the FCC will "take the interference issue to heart, whether or not the
resolution is adopted."
He further expressed the hope that BPL companies will "realize it's in their
interest to treat the interference issue as a technical and engineering
challenge, not as a political issue."
Speaking at Dayton Hamvention in May, Haynie urged individual amateurs to
begin participating in the political process. "We've got to ratchet up our
presence," he told a forum audience. Haynie said that while ARRL can serve
as the unified voice of the national association for Amateur Radio,
individual licensees are voters, and lawmakers are quite aware that there
are radio amateurs in their districts.
Regarding HRes 230 specifically, Haynie said this week that the task at hand
is to encourage other House members to sign on as cosponsors of the
resolution as the first step toward House adoption. And that's where League
members come in, he said.
"I really encourage you to contact your congressional representative,"
Haynie said. "It's listed in the front of almost every phone book who your
congressman is. If not, you can go to the United States House of
Representatives Web site <http://www.house.gov/> and find out by typing in
your ZIP code. I really encourage you to do this because it's important to
the future of Amateur Radio."
The full text of HRes 230
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/hres230/HRes230.pdf> and a
sample letter
<http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/filings/hres230/HRes230-SampleLtr.doc
> are available on the ARRL Web site. Haynie called on members to express
their support for the resolution in their own words.
To expedite delivery, send all correspondence bound for Members of
Congress--preferably as an attachment--to <hres230@arrl.org&gt; or fax it to
703-684-7594. The ARRL will bundle correspondence addressed to each Member
of Congress for hand delivery.
==>ARRL, IARU TO BE REPRESENTED AT FIRST GLOBAL EMCOMM CONFERENCE
The ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) will be
represented June 13 and 14 at the first Global Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications conference (GAREC 2005) <http://kotisivu.mtv3.fi/garec2005/>
in Tampere, Finland. ARRL International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford,
W6ROD, will represent both the League and IARU Region 2.
Chairing the gathering will be IARU International Coordinator for Emergency
Communications Hans Zimmermann, F/HB9AQS. Conference participants will
explore all aspects of Amateur Radio's emergency communication role, then
prepare and adopt a statement to the International Telecommunication Union
2005 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
An initiative of the Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL), the conference's
location in part pays homage to the Tampere Convention on the Provision of
Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations.
The convention, which became effective January 8, largely eliminates
roadblocks to moving telecommunications personnel and equipment across
international borders into and within disaster-stricken areas.
The conference will include presentations by the Amateur Radio emergency
communication services of various countries as well as reports of
involvement in recent major disasters, including last December's earthquake
and tsunami in South Asia.
GAREC 2005 will be held under the patronage of Former ITU Secretary-General
Pekka Tarjanne.
The RSGB reports that a remotely controlled MT63 HF station will be on the
air from the conference site using OH2PO or OH3AG. There's additional
information on GAREC 2005 on the IARU Web site
<http://www.iaru.org/emergency/garec.html>.
==>SAN DIEGO AREA YOUNGSTERS ENJOY CONTACT WITH NA1SS
During a May 24 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact, students in Susan Singleton's class at Coronado Village Elementary
School near San Diego asked Expedition 11 flight engineer John Phillips,
KE5DRY, about his view of Earth from orbit and the end of the world.
"When the sun collapses into itself and becomes a black hole, will it have
enough gravity to suck in the other planets?" one student wanted to know.
Phillips replied, reassuringly, "Our sun is not big enough to become a black
hole." Asked about his view of Earth, he told the students, "Earth is very,
very beautiful. In the daytime you see the blue of the ocean, the white snow
and tan deserts, and in the night you can see lights and lightning. Just the
other day I flew over Coronado and saw the beach and the big hotels."
One student asked if the space station's living quarters looked like an
apartment. Phillips replied, "It's sort of like an apartment. We have a
kitchen, a bathroom and two tiny bedrooms." In view of the fact that ISS
astronauts are in space for months at a time, Adam Phillips, the astronaut's
nephew, asked, appropriately, how Phillips kept in touch with his family. "I
can send and receive e-mail," he replied. "I have weekly video conferences
with my wife and two children, and I can even make phone calls some of the
time. In fact I'm going to call my brother Nathan and your family one of
these days."
One envious student asked how to become an astronaut. "Well," Phillips
replied, "you start by doing well in school and then going to college and
start a career as a scientist, engineer, pilot or a medical doctor."
The last question belonged to Mrs Singleton, who was filling in for an
absent student. She asked Phillips whether he dreams in space. "I haven't
remembered any dreams in space yet," he replied, "but that's normal for me
because I hardly ever remember them on Earth, either."
ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss> is an international educational outreach
with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
==>W1AW, K1D, AO-51, TO BE ON THE AIR FOR KID'S DAY(S)
It's the second 2005 running of Kid's Day Saturday, June 18
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.html>. ARRL Maxim Memorial Station
W1AW and perennial Kid's Day special event station K1D will be ready.
AMSAT-NA will sponsor its own Kid's Day event Saturday, June 11, on the
AO-51 "Echo" satellite. With help from some area youngsters and fellow ARRL
staffers, ARRL Education and Technology Program ("The Big Project")
Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, will be at the helm of W1AW for the ARRL
Kid's Day event, which runs June 18 from 1800 until 2400 UTC.
"Kid's Day is one way that you can share the fun, excitement and learning
opportunities of ham radio," Spencer says. "Many hams participate with their
own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews." But while Kid's Day can be
a family affair, he encourages radio amateurs to consider inviting families
with children from the neighborhood or some of the people you work with and
their kids. "Inviting adults and youth may result in future ham radio
operators," he points out.
The point of Kid's Day, which originated in 1994, is to encourage young
people--licensed or not--to enjoy Amateur Radio. Additionally, Kid's Day
offers a mentoring opportunity for experienced amateurs while giving
youngsters some firsthand ham radio experience and perhaps sparking a
lifelong interest.
"The personal touch is the most effective way to gain someone's interest in
ham radio," Spencer says. "Many of us became involved in the hobby because
of a family member, relative or close friend."
Participants exchange name, age, location and favorite color. Call "CQ Kid's
Day." Suggested frequencies are 14.270-14.300, 21.380-21.400 and
28.350-28.400 MHz, plus 2-meter repeaters with permission from
owner/sponsor. Control operators should observe third-party traffic
restrictions when making DX contacts.
Kid's Day veteran Peter Schipelliti, W1DAD, of Atkinson, New Hampshire, has
been operating special event station K1D since June 4. Sponsored by the
Atkinson Amateur Radio Club, K1D recognizes Kid's Day and Amateur Radio
Awareness Month. K1D will be on the air through 0359 on Sunday, June 19, on
or about 14.270, 21.370 and 28.370 MHz. Schipelliti and his wife Jeanne,
K1MOM, hope to have their kids on the air for the occasion too. QSL to
W1DAD, 7 Dearborn Ridge Rd, Atkinson, NH 03811.
All participants are eligible to receive a colorful certificate. Visit the
ARRL Kid's Day Survey page
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kids-day-survey.html> to complete a short
survey and post your comments. You will then have access to download the
certificate page. Or you can send a 9x12 SASE to Boring Amateur Radio Club,
PO Box 1357, Boring, OR 97009.
Kid's Day typically attracts more than 1000 youthful participants. It takes
place each year on the first Sunday in January and the third Saturday in
June.
This weekend the AO-51 "Echo" satellite will be on the air and specially
configured for AMSAT Kid's Day. AO-51 ground controller and AMSAT-NA Vice
President-Operations Mike Kingery, KE4AZN, says the satellite will be
available from approximately 1420 UTC on June 11 until approximately 0450
UTC on June 12.
"We ask all amateur radio stations to give this short time window to promote
satellite operations with kids by actually showing a kid how to make
contacts via AO-51, providing a station to contact, or stepping aside to
allow others to make contacts with the kids," he said
AO-51 will be configured with an uplink frequency of 145.880 MHz, FM voice
(note change in frequency for this event) with a 67-Hz tone, and a downlink
of 435.300 MHz, FM voice.
A free certificate--no SASE needed--is available to any youngster making a
successful AMSAT Kid's Day contact. Send a QSL card (or other suitable
verification) to Kid's Day Certificate, c/o Michael Kingery, KE4AZN, 1251
County Rd 445, Enterprise, AL 36330 USA.
More information on AO-51 and AMSAT Kid's Day is available on the AMSAT Web
site <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/ControlTeam.php>.
==>DAYTON HAMVENTION REPORTS ATTENDANCE UP SLIGHTLY FOR 2005
Dayton Hamvention 2005 General Chair Gary Des Combes, N8EMO, told ARRL this
week that attendance was up by 542 this year over last. The total "official"
attendance was 20,411, compared to 19,869 for 2004.
"We heard from many exhibitors who sold out of everything they had and were
taking orders as early as Saturday noon," Des Combes said. "In fact I was
told by several exhibitors that this was their best show ever." The ARRL
2005 National Convention, which Dayton Hamvention hosted, "pushed the bar
way up," he added.
"Virtually everywhere I turned, people were happy," Des Combes continued,
while conceding that the vacancy level in the exhibits area and the flea
market "were not what we wanted." He chalked that up in part to high
gasoline prices--something beyond the control of Hamvention's planners--and
a dearth of smaller computer vendors who no longer can compete with the big
box stores.
But Des Combes said he was heartened that the vast majority of his e-mail
since the show has been positive, "thanking me and expressing how great the
show was and they will be definitely be coming back next year," he said. Des
Combes expressed confidence that 2006 General Chairman, Jim Nies, WX8F--this
year's assistant general chair--will work hard to promote Dayton Hamvention
and ARRL and Amateur Radio as well.
"I sincerely will miss it, but it is time for me to pass the torch to a new
leader," said Des Combes, who stepped into the top job two years ago and
guided Hamvention back to an all-volunteer show. "I have accomplished all
the goals I set out to do and feel I am going out on top, so now is a good
time."
Dayton Hamvention 2000--the last year Hamvention hosted an ARRL National
Convention--logged 28,804 attendees, up modestly from the previous year. The
all-time attendance record for Dayton Hamvention reportedly was 1993, when
33,669 showed up.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Solar Seer Tad "When I Wanted Sunshine, I Got Rain" Cook, K7RA, Seattle,
Washington, reports: Sunspot and solar flux readings were up this week,
while geomagnetic K and A indexes were down a bit. No big events triggered
geomagnetic storms this week, but two big new sunspots--775 and 776--are
rotating into a position to affect Earth. Solar flux for June 10-12 is
expected to be in the vicinity of 110 to 115. Geomagnetic conditions should
be quiet, although the new sunspots are magnetically complex and could hold
a surprise.
The ARRL June VHF QSO Party is this weekend. The object is to get as many
contacts in as many grid squares as possible. Many transceivers these days
have 6-meter capability, so it isn't much of a stretch for HF operators
lacking a 6 meter antenna to just toss up a dipole at the last minute. A
half-wave dipole is only about 9 feet, 3 inches long on 6, and when the band
opens up, a simple antenna can do quite well.
We're now two weeks away from ARRL Field Day
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/rules/2005/rules-fd-2005.html>. The long-range
forecast from the US Air Force shows a planetary A index of 20 (a bit high)
for both Saturday and Sunday of Field Day weekend, June 25-26. This is
probably predicted because of coronal holes and solar wind from the most
recent rotation of the sun. More details when we're a bit closer to the
event.
Sunspot numbers for June 2 through 8 were 69, 55, 74, 77, 89, 94 and 100,
with a mean of 79.7. 10.7 cm flux was 93.3, 95.3, 96.9, 105.4, 106, 109.1
and 115.7, with a mean of 103.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 7, 8,
18, 20, 13, 18 and 6, with a mean of 12.9. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 7, 10, 12, 14, 7, 11 and 3, with a mean of 9.1.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The ARRL June VHF QSO Party, the ANARTS WW RTTY
Contest, the Portugal Day Contest, the Asia-Pacific Sprint, SSB, the GACW
WWSA CW DX Contest, and the REF DDFM Contest are the weekend of June 11-12.
JUST AHEAD: The RSGB 80-Meter Club Championship (CW) is June 15. SARL Kid's
Day is June 16. The NCC Thursday Sprint is June 17. Kid's Day, The All Asian
DX Contest (CW), the SMIRK Contest, the AGCW VHF/UHF Contest, the West
Virginia and Quebec QSO parties are the weekend of June 18-19. The RSGB
80-Meter Club Championship (SSB) is June 23. The NCC Thursday Sprint is June
24. See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the
WA7BNM Contest Calendar <http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html>
for more info.
* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration for the Technician Licensing course (EC-010) remains open
through Sunday, June 12. Classes begin Friday, June 24. With the assistance
of a mentor, EC-010 students learn everything they need to know to pass the
FCC Technician class license examination. To learn more, visit the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/>
or contact the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Program
Department cce@arrl.org.
* Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course registration: Registration
for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level II on-line course
(EC-002) opens Monday, June 13, at 1201 AM EDT and will remain open until
all available seats have been filled or through the June 18-19
weekend--whichever comes first. Class begins Friday, July 1. ***ACT NOW!
THIS IS THE FINAL MONTH TO OBTAIN FEDERAL GRANT REIMBURSEMENT!*** Radio
amateurs 55 and older are strongly encouraged to participate. Thanks to the
Corporation for National and Community Service, the $45 registration fee
paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed to students who complete the course
requirements and are granted "Passed" status by their mentors on or before
August 31. During this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL
members on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, visit the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education Web page <http://www.arrl.org/cce/>.
For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan
Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
* NWS meteorologist praises ARES, SKYWARN: ARRL Minnesota Section Emergency
Coordinator Don Franck, AD0F, says he was grateful that Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN teams were on the job this week when
severe weather struck his area. Franck, who's also an ARRL Emergency
Communications Course instructor and mentor, says it got personal for him
after a severe storm dropped a wall cloud right into the field next to his
home and later spawned a tornado. "Through it all, local ARES members gave
freely of their time and vehicles," he said, "driving many miles across
three counties to get the best spotting of the super cell thunderstorms."
Observers endured one-inch diameter hail, 70 MPH winds and 7 inches of rain.
Franck was at the Olmsted County emergency operations center for the
occasion. The work of ARES and SKYWARN also drew praise from National
Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Todd Shea in La Crosse,
Wisconsin, who offered another example of how storm spotters made a
difference during the severe weather June 4. "A storm spotter in Clark
County, Wisconsin, correctly reported to us a rotating wall cloud from a
cluster of storms moving across central Wisconsin," he said. Shea says the
report enabled NWS radar to focus on that storm, leading directly to the
issuance of tornado warnings. "We were able to warn the rest of the
downstream communities and neighboring county during the approximately
20-mile intermittent tornado path," he said. "A spotter can make a
difference. Be proactive, organized, correct, and timely. I can't tell you
how much it does make a difference and how much we appreciate the
information."
* FCC invites comments on BPL database manager proposal: The FCC's Office of
Engineering and Technology (OET) is seeking comments on a proposal by the
United Telecom Council (UTC) to serve as the Access Broadband over Power
Line (BPL) database manager. When the FCC adopted new Part 15 October 14,
2004, in a Report and Order in ET Docket 04-37, it included a requirement to
provide a centralized publicly accessible BPL database. Comments are due by
June 27. Reply comments are due by July 5. According to an FCC, the BPL
database manager must maintain complete, accurate and timely records of
FCC-mandated information that Access BPL operators must provide. The
database should include the name of the Access BPL provider, frequencies of
operation, the postal ZIP codes the BPL operation serves, equipment
manufacturer and type, a point of contact for interference inquiries and
resolution, and the proposed or actual date of Access BPL operation. The BPL
database manager must provide the National Telecommunications Information
Administration (NTIA), the Commission and any member of the public access to
the database free of charge at all times. Acknowledging that BPL technology
"raises concerns of potential interference with incumbent users of the
spectrum, and heightens the need for agile and timely interference
mitigation techniques," the FCC stipulated establishment of the national BPL
database. UTC told the FCC on May 17 that it has designed and implemented a
database that will enable Access BPL operators to comply with the
notification requirements of the new Part 15 BPL rules, the FCC said.
Comments may be filed using the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System
(ECFS) <http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html>, and all comments will be
available for public inspection.--FCC
* CY9SS DXpedition on the air after rough landing: The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com/> relays a report from Robby Robertson, VY2SS, that
the CY9SS St Paul Island DXpedition crew had a very rough landing this week.
While coming ashore, the team lost a generator and three tower sections
overboard, and the landing craft's captain hurt his leg. High wind and rain
also hampered efforts to set up camp, but CY9SS has been up and running
since early on June 8, with early activity on 80, 40 and 20 meter SSB
(listening up). The DXpedition, scheduled to continue until July 7, is
expecting to be active on all bands. Logs will be posted to the Internet
<http://logs.cy9ss.info/>. A second wave of CY9SS operators is currently
working its way north. CY9SS plans 6-meter operation. Listen on or about
50.103 MHz. QSL CY9SS via VY2SS, 57 Tranquility Ln, Bloomfield, PEI C0B 1E0
CANADA. There's more info on the CY9SS Web site <http://www.cy9ss.com/>.
* Reminder: Armstrong commemorative FM broadcast is June 11: A special
commemorative FM broadcast Saturday, June 11, at noon (EDT) will mark the
70th anniversary of Maj Edwin H. Armstrong's first public demonstration of
wideband frequency modulation (FM). The transmission, from Experimental
Station WA2XMN (reminiscent of Armstrong's W2XMN call sign) will be on
Armstrong's original 42.8 MHz frequency and will emanate from his landmark
400-foot Alpine Tower on the Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. The
broadcast will be carried both on the air and on the Web
<http://www.wfdu.fm/>. Rebroadcasts will take place on the Web June 14 and
16 at 7 PM (EDT), and a recording will be made available for download.
Additional information about the commemorative broadcast and the Alpine
Tower site is available on the CSC Management Web site
<http://www.cscmgt.com/index.html>.
* ARRL accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO cards for DXCC credit: ARRL DXCC Manager Bill
Moore, NC1L, says that despite reports to the contrary, the League is
accepting VU4RBI/VU4NRO Andaman and Nicobar Islands DXpedition QSL cards for
DXCC credit. "A few cards have been rejected on the basis of incomplete
information on the cards," he notes. "We apologize for any
misunderstanding." Moore says that in the case of QSL cards bearing
less-than-complete data (call sign only, missing time and/or date, etc) DXCC
must see the actual card at ARRL Headquarters. "This is usual procedure," he
explains. "Blank cards and cards missing information are always subject to
inspection at Headquarters." He advises operators holding such cards to not
attempt to fill in the missing information themselves. "Simply send us the
card, and we will try to obtain the fill," he said. DXpedition team leader
Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI, has agreed to supply additional VU4RBI/VU4NRO log
information to DXCC. "As always we strive to maintain the highest integrity
possible in the DXCC program," Moore said. He advises patience to those
expecting a direct QSL.
* DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved this operation for DXCC credit: HZ1EX, Saudi Arabia, October 27,
2004, through December 31, 2005. For more information, visit the DXCC Web
page. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can answer most questions about the
DXCC program. ARRL DX bulletins are available on the W1AW DX Bulletins page.
* Israeli stations to honor Maccabiah Games June 21-July 21: The Israel
Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring a special Amateur Radio operation honoring
the largest Jewish sport event in the world--the 17th Maccabiah Games--to be
held in Tel-Aviv July 10-21. Fourteen Israeli stations with letters in their
suffix from which MACCABIAH can be spelled will be active for 30 days
starting June 21. A special Award will be available for stations having at
least six valid QSOs with the participating special event stations. The
operation is valid for all radio amateurs and SWLs around the world. More
details can be found at the Maccabiah Games page
<http://www.iarc.org/~4z4tl/Maccabiah17_main.htm> or via the IARC Web site
<http://www.iarc.org/>.--IARC
===========================================================
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Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership
data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail
address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent
email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit
modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot
change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the
Members Only Web Site.)
The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:
* ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be
posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)
* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)

The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

Much of the ARRL Letter content is also available in audio form in ARRL Audio News.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.

Back issues published since 2000 are available on this page. If you wish to subscribe via e-mail, simply log on to the ARRL Web site, click on Edit Your Profile at the top, then click on Edit Email Subscriptions. Check the box next to The ARRL email newsletter, the ARRL Letter and you will receive each weekly issue in HTML format. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Plain-Text

The ARRL E-Letter e-mail is also available in plain-text version:

Outlook Express

1. From the Inbox view, select the Tools menu and the Options selection.

2. Click the Read tab

3. Check the Read All Messages In Plain Text box. When you open the e-mail, it will be in plain text without images. Other e-mail programs may be able to make a Mail Rule for e-mail received from the address memberlist@www.arrl.org so that the plain-text-only display is selected automatically.

Outlook 2007

Use the same procedure as for Outlook Express, although the global option is under "Tools/Trust Center/E-mail Security".

Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...